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Chiropody
On 1st April, 1965 there were 88 sessions a week held in 8 clinics. The establishment
provided for 1 chief chiropodist, 3 senior chiropodists and 4 chiropodists (basic
grade). However, the difficulty in recruiting full-time staff to the Council's chiropody
service was such that on 31st December, 1965 the staff employed consisted of 1 chief
chiropodist, 2 senior chiropodists and 14 part-time chiropodists working on a
sessional basis: only 77 of the sessions were being maintained.
Throughout the period under review, there was a heavy demand for the service
resulting in long waiting periods for treatment.
Priority was given to elderly persons, the physically handicapped, schoolchildren
and expectant mothers. The charge to adults was 4s. a treatment but
abatable in necessitous cases. Persons receiving old age or national insurance retirement
pensions and children up to school leaving age received free treatment. The
following table shows the attendances in age groups for 1965: —
Males Females
0-4 5-14 15-64 65+ 15-59 60+ Total
First
attendances 1 18 4 110 20 360 513
Total
attendances 2 114 1,466 3,205 4,358 15,175 24,320
Number of sessions held—3,758.
In addition to the Council clinics, chiropody services for the elderly were provided
by four voluntary organisations which carried out 10,730 treatments. The
Council made grants to these organisations amounting to approximately £4,000.
SOCIAL WORK (HEALTH SERVICES)
The Social Work Section (Health Services) is concerned with
(a) social work arising out of school and hospital clinics and
(b) intensive casework with families with multiple problems.
The Social Workers concerned with the school health service are jointly
appointed by the Inner London Education Authority and the London Borough of
Southwark. At 1st April, 1965, the pattern of this aspect of work proceeded very
much on the lines of the former London County Council: social workers continued
to attend special investigation clinics, audiology clinics, selected eye clinics, and
selected clinics at Guy's Hospital.
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